Locomotive-journal lubricator.



r 0. B. MOORE. I LOGOMOTIVE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1902. RENEWED FEB. 15, 1909.

' Patented .Dec. 3, 1912 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lmim

C. B. MOORE. LOCOMOTIVE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31, 1902. RENEWED FEB. 15. 1909.

. Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a citizen of theUnited States, residing at UNITED simmersnna- ;;o-

' CHARLES, B. Moons,- or LAKE roansr, ILLINOIS, ssienon '10 AMERICAN LocoMormvn EQUIPMENT 00., or'cmcaeo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

To all whom 'itmay concern: I I

Beit known that I, G mmes Moons,

Lake Forest, in the county of' Lalte. and State of Illinois,haye invented certain new and useful Improvements in hocomotlve- Journal Lubricators, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to journal lubricators in general but has specialreference' to improvements by means ofwhich the journals of locomotives may be reliably and economically lubricated.- And my invention .relates particularly to improvements upon the liibricator that is shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States'No.

' 616,812, granted to Steele, December 27, 1898.

Although my invention isapplicable'to thelubrication of journals andbearlngs of numerous forms, the need therefor and the advantages thereof will be best understood Wheneverlan engine goes into a roundhouse- .by referring directly to the particularcase ofi the locomotive and the peculiarly diflicult conditions encountered in locomotive lubrication. i

Probably no parts of a locomotive receive so much attention as do the journal boxes of the large driving axles and "also those of the trucks. These are inspected and overhauled I a-nd'also demand the constant care of the engineer during the time that the locomotive s5 7 the way of inspecting, cleaning,

g and refilling item oflubrlcation is so uncertain, so unreliis on' the road. Yet with all the time and work expended upon locomotive journals in 'rcpacking the lubricators,.the present sysableand so variable that good authorities state that at-leastsixty per cent. of loco,

.motive failures" are directly chargeable to improper or insufficient lubrication of driver and truck ournals. Such fallures occasion hours of delay; frequently lnt-errupting and suspending trafiie on the road and some times causing serious train wrecks. I 2

' The journal boxes onJa locomotive are covered by the large driving Wheels,-i. (4., the locomotive frame is between the drivers,'.-' and the journal boxes which are held. therein are practically inaccessible except fro'mt-he limited space begween the drivers untl ernea'th thelocomotive; s'o that either the v 1 i'nspectio'n or repair fa joiirn'al'box {or-off the lubricator therein; i attended ivitlrfdifli IOCOMOZIIVE -J OU ItNAL specification of Letters Patent. Application and ociobe 31,1902, Serial-No. 129,556. Renewed February 15,1909. Seria1 No.&78,044.

culty t-ion. i i.

. the lower 'part I of the box and which is packed with 'Avaste that vigilance upon the said that only a small applied in the cellars is actually. utilized for j j qu'rna'l '1 bear ng" with expensi vew oil t 5 moment: he-discoyers'that; it is a t; all hot.

LUimIoAToR.

and a comparativelylengthy' opera- The lubricating device general use comprises adeep oil and waste cellar placed in ocomotive journal presses up mgainst the under side of the journal portion of the axle. must be kept saturated with o ilin order-to be effective, and further must be picked up occasionally, otherwise it will mat in the cellar, that is, shake down out of con tact with the journal and allowthe latter to' run dry. Hence the necessity for constant part-of inspectors, engi neers and oilers.

Patented noes, 1912".

This waste The'waste cellars of ilocomotive journal boxes are held in place by heavy pins called cellar bolts,'difiicult to remove,'a.ndin addition the cellars fit so tightly in placethzft it is often'necessary to use a prybar to get. them out after the cellar bolts are removed. And precisely because the journal bearings are so inaccessible, the lubricator cellars so difiicultto remove, so heavy and so frequently hot, the roundhous'e men are often I forced to a'llow'a locomotive to go out upon the road without its journals having received proper care, and engineers are prompted to force their engines and take risks rather than undertake the difficult -wo-rkand long delavs entailed upon the repacking or repair of hotboxes. r 1

In addition to being hard to keep in order;

the lubricating devices now in use are most uneconomical in their consumption of oil.

In the first place the oil cellars'referred to, I

must be kept full inorder to maintain the saturation of the oil waste and as these. cel- 'lars' are necessarily openat the top, large quantities of oil are lost by the spilling and splashing occasioned by the heavy vibration of the locomotive and the sudden cha'ngesfof speed caused by the application, of thle'i f brakes to the drivers,. and it maysafelybe proportion of the oil lubricating the" journals. Furtherm ore al though-"all experts agree-that it is almost impossible to effect the thorough lubri'ca I non 1.05 of a journal through. theftop of thelbeffa n'g,

" motive journals The crudity of the lubricating devices employed upon locomotives throughout the country and the importance of accomplishing a saving of oil will be recognized when it is understood that the cost of lubricating the journals of locomotives is fully double that oflubricating similar portions of all cars and coaches, although the number of locomotives is small in comparison with that of cars andpoaches in service. It is important therefore that more reliable means he provided for lubricating locomotive as Well as car ournals, that such means shall be of a character to accomplish a saving in the consumption of oil and that the same shall be constructed and arranged to admit of easy inspection, renewal and repair, notwithstanding the unavoidably inconvenient location of such lubricating devices.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a durable, reliable and structurally simple lubricating device and system of lubrication, for journal bearings and particularly for the driver and truck hearings or journals of lOCOInOI'LiVQS; and the important incidental of this invention is to insure and enable a. considerable saving of oil.

Another particular object of this invention. is to provide a lubricating device that may be inspected, filled, cleaned or repaired with the least possible labor and without taking down the journal box cellar, in other Words, to provide a lubricator which may be so easily exposed, filled or removed as to leave no excuse for lack of proper attention thereto by the enginemen, Whether the locomotive be at the roundhouse or on the road.

provide a lubricating device which shall be practically closed against the entrance of dust and cinder-s; which shall prevent loss of oil by splashing or slopping; and which may be easily filled at a'point below the journal and so wholly avoid the practice .of oiling the hearing from or through the top of the journal. box.

Numerous demonstrations of the Steele brush lubricator in connection with car journals have proven the former to be vastly superior to waste packing or any other Jpeans heretofore generally adopted for the purpose; and a particular objectof this invention is to improve and adapt the Steele brush lubricator for practical use upon locoand like difficult or peculiar uses.

With these objects in View, my invention consists in a journal box liibricator, an atjtacnment, a container, and support therefor, and in a system of lubrication, all as hereinafter described and out in the claims. Myinvention will be more readily under;- Stood by the accompanying drawing forni- Still. another object of my invention is to i shelf 9. particularly pointed.

ing a part of this specification, and, in which,

Figure l is an inner side elevation of a locomotive journal box equipped with a lubricator embodying my invention, same being shown in section, substantially on the line m-az of Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing all parts in full lines. Fig.

3 is a perspective view of my lubricator proper with its cellar and the sup Jort therefor. Fig. 4 is a perspective view 0 the top of the lubricator cellar or pan, removed and inverted. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section, illustrating the lubricator equipment of one of the main driver journals. Fig. 6 is a similar YlGW illustrating a rear driver lub 'icator equipment. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail, substantially on the line y of Fig. 2- Fig. 8 is an enlarged sec" tional detail showing the brush holder. Fig. 9 shows a modification of the lubricator, wherein two lubricating brushes are employed, and Fig. 10 shows a modified oil supply connection.

The main elements of my invention are, a lubricating brush, an oil pan or cellar wherein the butt of the brush is held, means for filling said pan with oil, a shelf or support that is removably arrai'iged in the lower part of the journal box to support said pan, and a pan-holding dust guard that is prcferably attached to said shelf.

In the drawing 2 represents the locomotive frame, this is located inside of the driver 3 as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. The pedestal columns 4;, 4-, are parts of the frame 2 and have their lower ends joined by the pedestal brace 5. The journal box (3 'vertically slidable between the columns -land is provided with the heavy journal brass or hearing 7 for the axle journal 8. This journal box is of the common form and proportions with the exception that the same may be of less height, that is, the box need not extend'so far below the driver axle, because my lubricating device occupies less space vertically than the common waste cellar. It;

should be understood, however, that my invention is applicable to any of the journal boxes that are in use as my lubricating device may be fitted to any thereof, as explained in detail hereinafter.

9 is the shelf or support for the oil cellar or pan; this comprises a thin shelf that fits between the sides 6 of the journal box and is of substantially the same length as the box. The shelf 9 is provided with the V617 tical flange or end 10 on its outer end, and is also provided with the depending lugs 11 arranged at the corners of the plate or '12, 12, are the cellar bolts or pins by which the shelf 9 is supported. colts pass through the sides of the box 6 and thrcughthelugs 11 of the shelf 9. It is ob- I i to the'bottom of the journal or axle the b vious that, Where my device is to be attached to an old journal box, the shelf may be secured at exactly the proper distance from the journal by simply making the height of the bolt holes in the lugs 11 to correspond to the positions of the'bolt holes in the box 6. In practice the boring of these holes in the lugs 11 is the last work done'in fitting the lubricating device to the journal box,

and-the lugs 11 are made long enough to al-- low considerable latitude of adjustment in the height or position of the shelf 9.

While in some cases I mayemploy an oil cellar that is integral with the shelf or support, I prefer to use a detachable cellar 'or pan 14 that rests uponthe shelf 9 and is preferably coextensive with the upper surface thereof. This shallow pan rises nearly and is adaptedto contain a small quantity of oil; suflicient for a long run. The box is rovided'with a cover-l5 which telescopes into the 'lower box and effectually prevents the splashing or slopping of the oil from the pan 14. The cover 15 also serves to exclude all dust and cinders and prevents the be foulingof the lubricating oil.

As shown'in Figs. 3'and'8, Iprefer that the upper edges I l of above the top of the inverted box 15 to catch and confine any oil that may drip from the journal, so that the oil will be returned to ox or reservoir 1d and will not be wasted. The top of the inner box or cover 15. isprovided with an oblong opening 16 that is preferably located beneath the up ward turning side of the journal (see Fig. 1). In this opening I arrange the brush lubricator ably a large number of bristles, ends of which are clipped to make end of the brush substantially conformed to the side of the journal. The butt of the brush in which the lower ends of the bristles are secured is provided with a ferrule 18, having outwardly t-urnededges 19 on its lower end. The slot 16 in the top of the oil pan or cellar is preferably made by the upper stamping or partiallycutting out a portion of the plate, and this portion 20 is bent down to provide a fastening for the spring clip 21, which serves to hold the butt of the One or both of the flanges 19 of'the when the parts are assembled as shown the brush cannot fall out or be pulled out of the oil cellar without the top or closure 15.

' .Vheri; it is desired to remove a brush clean the same or to replace it with another the top of the collar or pan must be removed so that the brush-may be drawn out from the inner sldc. In place of a single brush arranged under the center of the journal 01' beneath the upwardly turning side of the some, I may employ two shorter brushes the pan 14- shall rise' proper 17 which comprises prefer-.'

the upperbeing staggered or offset so that together they will sweep substantially the full length of the journal.

One particular advantage of the construction herein shown is that by using a shallow oil pan and placing the same close to the under side of the journal I am able tov use much shorter bristles for the lubricating brushes, thereby saving considerable in the cost of thebrushes as short bristles are much cheaper than long selected bristles, such as were required for the Steele lubricator above mentioned.

As shown in Fig. 3 I prefer to provide the top of the oil pan with a hole 22 through which the pan may be filled,,this hole is preferably closed by a small lid or cover 23. The regular means for filling the oil. pan and for feeding oil thereto drop by drop comprises an automatic feed cup 24 that is conveniently arranged upon the frame 2 of the locomotive. The top of the oil pan is preferably provided with an oil duct or pipe 25 which extends inwardly beyondthe inner end of the pan 14 and is connected to the oil cup by a flexible pipe or hose 26 made necessary V box in the rame. The kinking of the pipe is avoided by providing the metal pipe 25 with an elbow 25"parallel with theinner side of the box, and for convenience the'end of the pipe is provided with a ball or rib 25 over which the end of the flexible rubber pipe 26 is put. .The outer end of the journal box is fanned by the driver when the loeomotive is in motion and therefore need not be specially protected against the entrance of dust. T-his1is the case also at the inner end of the journal box belonging to the main driver where the driver is always provided with an eccentric 27 that fans the bearing and excludes dust and cinders. In such 'c'ases'it is sufficient to fasten the pan 14 by a' pin 28 placed in the lug 9 on the end of the shelf and which prevents the sliding of the pan thereon.

The journal boxes of the rear driver of a locomotive, however, are exposed to the clouds of dust that arise beneath the moving by the movement of the journal or board 30, the

' upper end of which is provided with'a recess 30 to fit the journal. 'tially the'same width as the inner'fTour-nal box and is secured in place by means: of the bolts 31, 31, that screw into the endjof the shelf or support 9 (see holes 31 "The board or guard is provided with slots .32 phrough which the This board is hubstanbolts z ii l pass, and

I flexible tube orhose is attached.

end of the nipple'is open and delivers the-oil when the bolts are loosened the guard may be dropped down into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the guard thus dropped the opening between the same and the bottom of the axle is suliiciently large to permit access to the brush lubricator and to the top of the oil pan, thus permitting the easy inspection of the lubricator or the filling otthe pan. To hold the guard in its elevated position 1 preferably provide washers 833 having sharp spurs that sink into the wood. Where the oil supply duct or pipe is a permanent fixture on the oil pan, I arrange slots Ell in the guard to permit the dropping down or removal of the guard without disturbing the oil cup pipe. The preferable oil cup connection, however, is illustrated in Fig. 10 wherein it will be seen that in place of a long pipe 25, I enrploy a short pipe nipple that is lined in the guard and to the outer end of which the The inner over the corner of the oil pan from the top of which the oil flows into the inclosed part through the opening 36. I prefer this arrangement because it is simpler and the tube is more easily cleaned in case it becomes clogged. The guards the double purpose of excluding dust and holding the pan 14 in place. l sometimes replace the split pins or bolts belonging to the cellar by threaded bolts which draw the sides of the box close up against the ends of the shelf or support 9. This construction affords a rigid journal box thus preventing the spreading f the sides of the box by heat. It is important that this be done as itenables me to use box wedges that'lit more tightly than is common. It will be noted that quite a large. space is left between the upper edge of the flange or end wall 10 of the cellar shelf or support, the purpose of this will be understood by reference to Fig. 5. Upon the driver axle where. the eccentric prevents the drawing out of the pan direct. it is necessary to pull out the inner cellar b l and drop the inner end of the shelf don. pon the pedestal brace in order to get l pan with its brush out of the box. This can be done readily and quickly with my device, wherewith the ordinary 'aste cellar it is necessary to remove the pedestal brace and the box weiilgges when it desired to remove the cellar from the journal box, an operation which consumes a great deal of time.

My invention though of a most simple structural character possesses many and marked advantages when compared with the devices in common use. The first essential of a lubr' iatiu device is that it shall at all times make pericct and sure contact with the jounnal and alnindantly supply the same with oil. This my device does, th oil being copiously ted to a broad area of the journal by the capillary action inherent to the bristle brush. Furthermore the brush being clipped or cut away on, an angle covers a.

maximum or" cross sectional area and the brush is kept. in actual contact with the journal at all times by the natural resilience of the bristles comprising the brush. Furthermore the oil that is fed to the journal by the brush is spread evenly across the full extent of the journal and a portion of the oil upon the returning or under side of the journal is deflected by the brush and thrown upon the face of the driver hub 33 thus cll'octivcly oiling the hub and the face of the journal box so that even. that bearing is taken care of autoi'natically and does not require the special attention of the OHglI'JCOL. The second essential feature. demanded in a lubricating device is economy in operation, and this is admirably met in the. case of my lubricator. An extremely small quantity of oil is required to supply the lubricating brush and as the brush is capable of lubricating the bearing to the fullest extent required, there is no longer any necessity for oiling the journal from the top. Up to this time fully per cent. of the oil used upon the join-nah; has been applied to the tops thereof and it is admitted that not more than 10 per cent. oi the oil thus supplied actually serves its purpose in maintaining the lubricatimi ol" the journal. Thus my device fulfils all requirements with a very small percentage of the oil heretofore expended, with an obviously large oil saving. l accomplish a furtlunsavingoi oil by the employment of the closed pan or cellar which prevents any spilling or slopping of the oil.

The advantage of my device in the. matter of economy is increased by the employment of the automatic feed cup which enables an engineer to note the quantity of oil that is used and that is required :lor various runs, giving him a feeling of security regarding the condition of the bearings so that he will not flood the bearings as mere matter of precaul ion. An ii'icideulal advantage of my invention is that the, usual oil holes in the top of the bearing btmes and brasses may be plugged up and the entran e of dust. and cindcrs through the,top of the bearing thus prr-verted. Again it is no longer necessary to provide the deep depressions in the. top of the engine Frame for the reception of the. oil and waste and the engine frame may be considerably strengthened because of the increase of cross section that is thus permitted. The third essential. feature requisite in a perfect lubricator is accessibility, and this quality is markedly possessed by the lubricator of my invention inasmuch as the oil pan, the lubricator brush and the journal may be gotten at quickly by the mere removal of the light dust'guard or by the dropping" downbf the inner end to require frequent cleaning, in order to.

keep them at;v all clear. Thisfeature' of. my invention is applicable-to the ordinary 011 cellars. 1"

It is ebviou that numerous modifications.

of my: invfefit nwill readily suggest themselves to one skil%'d in the art, and I therefore-do not confine'ln'y inventionto the spe- ,sific -constructi'ons herein shown and de-.

aving, thus describedflmy invention I 29 claim as-new an'ddesire to secure by Let- -'ters'Patent:j- 1. The floco'motive journal box and axle journalf combination a with 'aremovable box, an-'-o'il receptacle removably supported u'pon said'bo'ttom bjlt'hormally fixed there- :"on;""and; a; suitable j lubricatorfprepeq sub- -;-.-'2.,- 'rn'e journal {56 'biiiation 'with ag removable p lulu-mater" supp t; forming. the

constitutinga [brace' between the sides thereof,' and*means for fastening said supporfi,'in -tlie journal'box, and a lubricating.-

devie slidably arrangedhfor longitudinal movment'jon said's'upport, substantially. as de'st. JedJ a i'lfl e journal box' and journal, in com-' bination with a lnb'ricator plate or support box, whereby one of the ends of said plate may be lowered, and .a lubricating device normally resting on :said plate, substantially as described.

4. The locomotive journal boxand the journal,- in eoml'iination with a light lubricator-supporting plate removably fixed in the bottom of said box, cotter-pins fastening the same therein, an 'oil pan or receptacle held on said -plate,'a closure for the top of said pan, and a lubrieator extending through and above said closure, into contaet u-ith said journal, substantially as described.- Y

'A locomotive journal box and journal,

in combination with a bottom plate removably arranged in and closing the lower end or bottom of-said box, a lubrieator resting on said plate, a lubricator holding part at one end of said plate and another lubricator 4 holding part at the other end of said plate, the latter part being movable to closed and open positions, substantially as and for the (-5 pur 'mse specified.

pivotafplate' formingthebottom of said -in'g a port1on of the bottom thereof, a

' .holdnig clip upon said depressed )ortlon like hori-x 91- the loiver'endiof saidbox" and pivotally secured in thelower end of said proximity to the bottom of said-journal,

a shallow pan resting upon said plate within said box, a lubricator extending from said box into contact with said journal, and said pan and lubricator being removable from said-box on a horizontal plane while said plate is in its normal position, substantially as described. a

7. Inla device "of the class described a journal box and journal, in combination witlrmeans for supporting a pan in the lowerpartofsaid box, an o l pan resting thereon, an inverted pan or closurefit-ting .within said pan, a lubricating device extending from the pan through said closure and above the same into contact with said journal, and the edges of said oil pan rising above the top of said closure to retain the oil .that drips from said journal, substantially as described.

8. In a lubricating device for journal boxes, the combinationof an oil pan with an inverted pan forming the closure there for and fitting Within the same, said Inverted .pan havmga-brush hole formed by depress n'ush and an oil conveyino' brush having its butt held by said clip, su' )stantially as described.

9. In a, lubricating device for journal boxes, the eombination'of an oil pan having a closed top, a lubricating brush extending through said top and fastened upon the under side thereof, and said brush and top being removable togethen 10. In a lubricating device for journal boxes, the combination of an oil pan with a removable top-or closure there-for provided with a brush opening, a luln-icating brush attached to said top and an oil duct also attached to said top,substantially as described.

ll. A locomotive journal box and journal, said box having an open bottom, in combination with a luhricator shelf pivotally supported in the lower part of said box and a lubricator provided thereon, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a locomotive frame pedestal of a journal'boxheld therein a shelf or brace plate detachably arranged in thebottmn of said journal box, a lubricant container provided thereon and removable from the journal box without necessitating tne removal of-said shelf, substantially as described.

l3. The. journal lubrieator, comprising telescoping boxes or pans, one provided with a brush hole and also having a brush holder and a lubricating brush having a butt ferrule flanged to engage said holder, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a locomotive journal box and axle, with a lubrieator in the lower part ofLsaid box, a lubricator supportfixed in the bottom of said box and where- 'on said lubricator is longitudinally slidable, and suitable means preventing the longitudinal movement of. the lubricator when the lubrieator and box are operative, sub-' stantially as described.

15. The combination, of a locomotive frame, journal-box, and axle,with a'lubrlcator loosely arranged in the lower part of said box-beneath the journal portion'ot said axle for longitudinal movement for purposes of removal, and means detaehably arranged in the lower part ofsaid box and forming the bottom thereof and whereon said lubricator rests, substantially as described.

16. The combination, of a locomotive frame, journal-box, and axle, with a lubri- -cator-.mcluding an oil pan loosely arranged in the lower part of said box beneath the journal portion of said axle, means detachably arranged in the lower part of said box and forming the bottom thereof, and where- -on said lubricator rests, and means at the ends of said journal-box'for retainin the luhricator upon said bottom, substantially as described.

17. The combination, of -a lo miotive' frame,journal-box, and axle, with a lubricator loosely arranged in the lower part of said box beneath the journal portion of said axle, means detachably arranged in the lower part of said box and forming, the bot P tom thereof, and whereon said lubricator rests, means at the ends of said journal-box or retaining the lubricator upon said bottom the retaining means at the inner end of the box being adapted for removal, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

18. The "combination, of the locomotive j'ournal-lmx and axle, -with a pivotally mounted plate forming the bottom of said box and detachable therefrom, and a box end closing plate adjustably arranged on the inner end of said plate, substantially as described.

19. A locomotive journal box, in combination with a hinged drop bottom, pivotally attached to said box, a journal 'lubricator supported by saidbottom when in a horizontal position and removable from thejiox when said drop bottom is dropped, substantially as described.

20. The combination, of the journal box with a lubricator-supporting partat shelf hinged in the bottom thereof, and. means for fastening the same to the sides 01? said box, to normally support a lubricator, substantially as described.

21. A locomotive journal box and journal, in combination with a horizontal plate provided in the lower part of said box and havinga vertical flange at one end practically filling the space between the plate and said journal, :1 lubricator resting on said plate and held at one end by said flange and'a dust guard 'movably connected to the opposite end of the plate for securing said lubrieator, substantially as described.

22. A locomotive journal box and journal, in combination with a plate closing thebottom of the box, cotter pins arranged in the sides of the box and removably supporting said plate therein, a lubricant cellar container resting on said plate and longitudinally slidable thereon, for ready removal,

substantially as described.

23. The combination of a locomotive frame, a journal box secured in said frame,

the saidlubricator in position, substantially as described.

Intestiniony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of October, 1912.

CHARLES n. MOORE.

In the presence of-,

JOHN J. P. 00mm, C. E. Hawnnr. 

